AHIMA FOUNDATION ENHANCES LEADERSHIP ROLE IN SHAPING NEW DIMENSIONS OF 21ST CENTURY

HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Former FORE (Foundation of Research and Education) refocuses to align with AHIMA brand: redefining strategy, expanding horizons of future HIM research and education under new banner and direction; and powered by dynamic new Web presence

CHICAGO, April 10, 2009—The AHIMA Foundation is the newly redefined philanthropic arm of AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association).  As  the nation’s oldest and largest health information management organization, AHIMA has relaunched its former FORE Foundation with new positioning and strategic direction that more closely aligns it with the association’s brand, while placing it squarely in front of HIM’s best research and educational support opportunities.

Chair of the AHIMA Foundation Board of Directors, Keith Olenik, said the relaunch, “Offers this Foundation an opportunity to strengthen its ties to the AHIMA brand while at the same time projecting a more clearly-defined image of itself.  The foreseeable result is a foundation that plays a much more impactful role in shaping health information management and the healthcare industry as a whole.”

In addition to developing its new name, brand identity, and strategic positioning, the AHIMA Foundation simultaneously designed a new Web site, www.ahimafoundation.org that will allow the philanthropic, academic and corporate communities to better determine the immediate and long-range opportunities for growth offered through support.

With these enhancements, the AHIMA Foundation is now well-positioned to support AHIMA as an impact driver for patient-centered advancements in health information.  “With its repositioning, the AHIMA Foundatio will be better able to support our standing principle to create quality healthcare by providing quality healthcare information,” AHIMA CEO Linda Kloss, said.

“Along with the name and branding changes for the AHIMA Foundation comes a refined vision and mission that will guide the AHIMA Foundation in future endeavors to influence and inform the HIM industry and the public,” said Mary Madison, the AHIMA Foundation’s executive director under whose administration the Foundation has undergone dynamic change. 

“There are new priorities that will emerge from this refined strategic direction and 2009 will be a pivotal year for us, as we work to elevate the profile and impact of the Foundation by enhancing the strong work that’s already started, using strategic partnerships and public outreach in our efforts toward transforming the Health Information industry,” Madison said.

About the AHIMA Foundation

Created in 1962, the AHIMA Foundation is a separately incorporated, 501 (c)(3) affiliate organization founded and managed by AHIMA.  The Foundation provides an infrastructure of knowledge, research and education in the field of HIM.  Its role is to envision the future direction and needs of the field—and to create original research, policy, strategies, and information that keeps HIM on the forefront. Beginning in 2009, the Foundation has undergone a strategic shift to broaden its reach and impact, with the overall vision of “Better Health Information for All.” www.ahimafoundation.org

About AHIMA

The American Health Information Management Association is America’s leading professional society whose mission is to “improve healthcare by advancing best practices and standards for health information management and [serve as] the trusted source for education, research and professional credentialing.” AHIMA represents more than 53,000 specially educated HIM professionals who serve healthcare and the public by managing, analyzing, and utilizing data vital for health system management. www.ahima.org